From: Milton Aupperle <milton@outcastsoft.com>

Date: June 11, 2012 3:47:00 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Re: VT and USB 3

Hi Kurt;

Thanks for the info.

It makes little sense to me on the 17" model to dump FireWire, Ethernet (now offered as a "optional" Thunderbolt to Giga Ethernet adapter)  and the Express card slot - especially given he state of Thunderbolt peripherals and Expansion chassis. And why leave FireWire on the 13" and 15" models or add USB 3 and  Thunderbolt  to the Mac Book Airs? Very weird fragmentation going on here..

They also updated (well it's called an update) the DeskTop Mac Pro model too - although you'd never know it. The only change was a minor speed bump to the CPU's - no Thunderbolt, no USB3, no SSD, no New Graphic cards  at all - just the same 2010 model. Likely they will just discontinue them altogether as they did to the X-Serve with no warning.

TTYL..

Milton Aupperle

On 11-Jun-12, at 3:18 PM, mihalco wrote:

Well, looks like the new Macbook Pros do indeed support USB3.  They also introduced a nice model without an optical drive (and with a retina display, 2880 x 1800), but unfortunately for Firewire camera owners, it doesn't come with a FW port.  Instead 2 thunderbolt ports and 2 USB3 ports.  They did announce a thunderbolt to FW800 adapter (coming in July). They also upgraded the existing style Macbook 13 & 15's (with optical drive) to support both USB3 (they keep FW800 support).  See:

http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs/

Kurt

--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, Milton Aupperle <milton@...> wrote:

Hi Kurt and Dave;

On 9-Jun-12, at 7:54 AM, mihalco wrote:

In the last few iterations of the MacBook Pro, Apple has been using

Intel mobile chipsets.  The last update, the HM77 Express chipset,

incorporates USB3, so hopefully, Apple will support it. But based on

their past history, they might see it as competing with their

thunderbolt port ...

I'd have to agree, especially on a cost basis.

Both Apple and Intel have been dragging their feet on USB 3. I suspect

it's because both don't generate royalties or have such tight control

for USB 3 like they do for Thunderbolt.

That was one of the main issue with FireWire too - purchasing

documentation was (still is - the 1.3.2 IIDC specification costs $300

USD for about 1 page of changes from the IIDC 1.3.1 revision) and the

per port royalties drove the cost up dramatically compared to USB.

And I have read and had a few customers tell me that Thunderbolt to

Express card is not a good user experience at all. Flaky performance,

odd quirks in what cards are or aren't supported  and stability issues

seem to be the norm rather than the exception.

Milton J. Aupperle

Kurt

--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, Dave Goodyear <dave@> wrote:

Us 15" MBP users are SOL for USB 3.0 unless I get a thunderbolt to

expresscard adapter.. but then I lose my thunderbolt/displayport

for my external monitor...  sigh..

Dave Goodyear